Semi-active radar homing (SARH) is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. The name refers to the fact that the missile itself is only a passive detector of a radar signal—provided by an external ("offboard") source—as it reflects off the target. Semi-active missile systems use bistatic continuous-wave radar.
Figure 1. Semi-active radar homing flight path geometry.
9B-1101K, inertial semi-active homing head for R-27R missiles.
The RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) is a ship-based surface-to-air missile used by the United States Navy to intercept short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles as a part of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. Although primarily designed as an anti-ballistic missile, the SM-3 has also been employed in an anti-satellite capacity against a satellite at the lower end of low Earth orbit. The SM-3 is primarily used and tested by the United States Navy and also operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
A RIM-161 Standard Missile (SM-3) is launched from the Aegis cruiser USS Lake Erie
An SM-3 launched to destroy the failed USA-193 satellite
SM-3 launch from USS Lake Erie, 2005
SM-3 launch from USS Shiloh, 2006